I'm after some advice on buying a refurbished desktop PC.
I currently have a Dell Vostro 400 which I bought in 2008. The specs are: - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz, 3GB RAM DDR2 667MT/s, 32-bit Windows 10 Pro and I upgraded to a SSD years ago.
The PC is ancient but it has been fine for my needs up until recently (I don't game on PC). The PC is finally starting to struggle so I'm looking for a replacement. I guess there's no point upgrading the innards anymore as it would require a new motherboard, CPU, RAM, etc. I can reuse my keyboard, mouse, monitor and PC speakers so I don't need to buy anything like that.
Ideally I'd like to spend no more than £200. I'd like a Windows 11 supported processor if possible. 8GB RAM (minimum), SSD, HDMI and a few USB 3.0 ports. Nice to haves (but not deal breakers) would be internal case room for a HD so I could swap in the storage drive from my current PC, a DVD/RW drive (or space for one as I could swap in the drive from my PC) and built in WiFi (I have a USB adapter I can use if required). I think onboard graphics will satisfy what I use a PC for.
I presume a refurbished desktop PC from one of the sellers on ebay will meet my needs. It will be a quantum leap forward compared to my current 15 year old PC.
Someone who is current with how old and how good CPUs are would be quickly able to spot the wheat from the chaff for me. Obviously the faster and newer the CPU the better (within the small budget).
I've seen these offers on ebay: -
"Up to 50% off refurbished desktops. Dell, Lenovo, Apple & more. Ends 4 Apr."
ebay.co.uk/e/_…280
"24% OFF OVER £50 WITH SPRING24OFF. Save 24% Off Items over £50. Expires 25 April 2023. Max discount £100. Limit 2 per buyer. Exclusions apply."
ebay.co.uk/sme…197
Can anyone recommend a seller or specific PC?
Thanks.
I currently have a Dell Vostro 400 which I bought in 2008. The specs are: - Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz, 3GB RAM DDR2 667MT/s, 32-bit Windows 10 Pro and I upgraded to a SSD years ago.
The PC is ancient but it has been fine for my needs up until recently (I don't game on PC). The PC is finally starting to struggle so I'm looking for a replacement. I guess there's no point upgrading the innards anymore as it would require a new motherboard, CPU, RAM, etc. I can reuse my keyboard, mouse, monitor and PC speakers so I don't need to buy anything like that.
Ideally I'd like to spend no more than £200. I'd like a Windows 11 supported processor if possible. 8GB RAM (minimum), SSD, HDMI and a few USB 3.0 ports. Nice to haves (but not deal breakers) would be internal case room for a HD so I could swap in the storage drive from my current PC, a DVD/RW drive (or space for one as I could swap in the drive from my PC) and built in WiFi (I have a USB adapter I can use if required). I think onboard graphics will satisfy what I use a PC for.
I presume a refurbished desktop PC from one of the sellers on ebay will meet my needs. It will be a quantum leap forward compared to my current 15 year old PC.
Someone who is current with how old and how good CPUs are would be quickly able to spot the wheat from the chaff for me. Obviously the faster and newer the CPU the better (within the small budget).
I've seen these offers on ebay: -
"Up to 50% off refurbished desktops. Dell, Lenovo, Apple & more. Ends 4 Apr."
ebay.co.uk/e/_…280
"24% OFF OVER £50 WITH SPRING24OFF. Save 24% Off Items over £50. Expires 25 April 2023. Max discount £100. Limit 2 per buyer. Exclusions apply."
ebay.co.uk/sme…197
Can anyone recommend a seller or specific PC?
Thanks.
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16 Comments
sorted byCEX usually worth have a look as it is easy to return
Stormforce 7200-5567/Ryzen 3 3200G/8GB Ram/1TB HDD/W10/B
£195
. Just stick your existing SSD in.
uk.webuy.com/pro…=29
Zoostorm SFF Desktop PC Core i3-10100 8GB RAM 240GB SSD Windows 10 Home £200
ebay.co.uk/itm…d:1
Oh - I see you want to run Windows 11 - well you'll need at least an 8th Gen CPU for that - I doubt you'll be able to find anything in the £200 price range, but if you do post it here!
Also do you really need the DVD drive? You probably won't be able to swap the old one over as most modern motherboards won't have an IDE connection (I'll make the assumption that your 2008 DVD drive has an IDE interface), Saying that I suppose an internal SATA DVD/RW drive can be had for around £20.
It is a remarkable coincidence as my son has shown an interest in upgrading my old Q6600 rig (which I use for StarCraft!). It works perfectly fine for StarCraft, but it struggles with Fortnite!
It's worth noting that Intel is on it's 13th generation of it current processors - and that the there where a few iteration after the Q6600 before the i3, i5 & i7 (and now i9) range started!
I would aim for an i5 8th Gen as a minimum CPU, which I guess can be had within your budget (search for "Intel Core i5 8th Gen. PC" - make sure it's at least an i5 8th gen, anything least will not officially run Windows 11!) (edited)
You might be just as well getting something a bit updated on Windows 10 for cheap and upgrading again after MS end support slated at end 2025 (you won't need to worry till into 2026)
I got an hp 4th gen i5, 8gb,1tb, sff for £70. Swapped the dvd for a 256gb ssd (£14 from amazon) and runs really well (my old pc was from 2009) (edited)
I've got one of these that i picked up for £75 and is small, quiet, lower power. I think if you buy it stock it comes with 4gb and a 1tb mechanical drive, but i got mine with 8gb and an ssd. It's also w11 compatible.
You can add another 4GB RAM for £5
Again take your existing SSD and install.
uk.webuy.com/pro…=83
uk.webuy.com/pro…=99 (edited)
The following websites say 4GB RAM is the maximum that will go into a Dell Vostro Desktop 400: -
memorycow.co.uk/des…top
mrmemory.co.uk/mem…wer
I could cannibalise my Dad's PC (he has the exact same spec PC as me) to get another 1GB of RAM so I'd have 4GB but I've read 32 bit Windows 10 can only "see" 3.5GB of RAM maximum. I don't think my PC has the specs to run 64 bit Windows 10.
Also, as I understand it, the Q6600 CPU is really bad for power consumption compared to more modern CPUs so it's probably not worth upgrading, especially if I can get a much more recent PC for less than £100.
I never thought to look on Facebook marketplace or CEX so I'll have a look there. The warranty from CEX and some of the ebay sellers is a positive.
You can filter ebay for refurbished Windows 11 desktops but I know there is a way of installing Windows 11 on PCs which don't really meet the specs. Ideally I'd want a PC which is officially compatible.
ebay.co.uk/sch…179 (edited)